Facing
Facebook
What UWindsor students
need to know…
What can Facebook Do
For You?
• Help you to connect or reconnect
with friends
• Stay in touch with long distance
relationships
• Share photos, videos, information
• Join groups with like minded people
What can Facebook Do For
You?
• Invite people to events
• Community building
• Get up-to-the-minute information
on people or events
• Make you have a sense of
belonging and provide social
interaction
How Can Facebook Impact
You Negatively?
• Friends –knowing too much about
you and you about them
• Posting inappropriate photos and
not having control on photos
posted of you
• Joining groups that may reflect
poorly on your choices
• Postings on walls that may use
foul language or reflect poorly on
you
What Does it Really Matter
Anyway?
• It’s nobody’s business –it’s my
private world!
• Right?
• Not really….
Privacy? Is there such a thing?
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Employers
Your ex-girlfriend
Your boyfriend’s parents
Your academic advisor
Your professors
Your reference for your next job
Your mother
Your roommate’s parents
The guy down the street who
gives you the creeps
Information to Avoid
• Your “Info” page:
– your birthdate (especially the
year of your birth) can make
you more susceptible to fraud
– Your address
– Contact info, cell phone, etc
– Your schedule
– Groups associated with -(be
careful if they are offensive)
From a Professional Perspective
• Is it just for fun, or are there
people viewing my profile who
may be judging me?
“If you say it to one person on
Facebook, you say it to the
whole world.”
But I Have the “Privacy”
Setting Turned on
• Is it set to only “friends” or can the
entire “University Community” gain
access?
– “People at Windsor and friends” –
means ANYONE associated with the U
could potentially see your profile –even
Alumni –ie employers, professors, etc
– “Friends of friends”
– “Only friends” –those you invite
– “Customize” –most secure
Who Can See My Profile?
• Although it can feel private, it is a
very public forum
• People share photos, look at profiles
in public places, and view friends’, and
friends’ of friends
• Your “friends” may not have the same
level of privacy settings as you thereby
making your information accessible to
more people than you think
• Read the fine print “Facebook’s
Privacy Policy” and “Safe Use
Principles”
How Well Do You Really
Know Your “Friends”?
• Don’t focus on trying to acquire
as many “friends” as possible
• Be selective OR consider
“customizing” your privacy for
those who are not “close friends”
• Ignoring a friend request is
perfectly okay if you aren’t sure
Think About It . . .
• Who’s looking over your “friends’”
shoulders while they are looking at
your profile?
• Many employers look up potential
employees on Facebook to get a
better understanding of the
applicant.
• Consider this:
•
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/20/eveningn
ews/main1734920.shtml?source=RSS&attr=SciTech_
1734920
Think About It . . .
• Bikini clad, beer chuggers will not
impress a recruiter
• Even if your profile is closed,
people who know people can
inadvertently encounter your
information –it’s a small world!
• Parts of your profile can remain
accessible to the World Wide Web
in more ways than you might realize
–a mere “google search” can turn
up a lot of information about you
from the past
Groups and Your Association
With Them:
• Maybe you work at Tim Horton’s
and you join the group “Outraged
Tim Horton’s Staff Unite: We know
how much it REALLY sucks”
• Would this leave a good impression
if your boss saw your profile?
• What about future employers who
might be watching?
You, the role model….
• Perhaps you are in a mentorship
role? (Leader, coach, scout
leader, volunteer at a school)
• Your mentee goes home and
looks you up on Facebook and
sees you in unflattering photos
• What message are you sending?
Attention: Everyone
• Although your online activity is
not likely to be monitored, you
could be held accountable if you
are engaged in questionable
behaviour
• What you wouldn’t put on a poster
for all to see (including
grandparents and professors), you
might want to think twice about
posting online
Did Someone Say Police?
• At some institutions, following an
incident such as a party that gets
out of hand, campus and city police
have found information or photos on
Facebook that may provide
incriminating evidence about the
individuals involved
• Underage drinking, keg parties, acts
of vandalism
Misinterpretations
• Think about how the content
on your Facebook could be
interpreted or misinterpreted.
• What may seem like a joke to
you and your friends, could be
seen as serious by someone
else.
Addicted to Facebook?
• Stories of Facebook addiction
are also common.
• Did you know that Facebook
gets more than 65 billion page
views per month and more
than half of active users return
daily?
• Some students log in to their
profiles several times a day
• Remember why you are at
University
Addicted to Facebook?
• How much time are you
“Facebooking” every day?
• Are you using it wisely? Is it
controlling your every move?
• How might this affect your
work, school, and social life?
Fighting the Addiction
• Face to Face vs. Facebook
• Don’t kid yourself –logout or
turn off your computer when
you’re studying
• Set goals –what do you need to
accomplish?
• Time allocation –give yourself
time limits –use it as a reward
after you accomplish your goals
Look at the Bright Side
• Creating or refining one’s self
identity and values
• Use it to build connections with
peers and create civility
• Connect with people and groups
that foster a positive sense of
community
• Learn to use technology in creative
and useful ways
The YouTube clip below helps to
illustrate that although there are
many positive uses for Facebook,
sometimes, users may get carried
away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrl
SkU0TFLs
Don’t Be a Facebook Fool!
• A Google search of “Facebook
cautions” provides many
articles and tips on using
Facebook
• Be informed and use it wisely